Mike --
One more thing to think about. Think small while you are thinking big.
A 4-5 acre pond may be great. But, it becomes a mono-culture. Several smaller ponds could be much more fun, and they would really add to diversity.
As you drive the North-South corridor between I-81 in VA and the Kentucky and Ohio borders to the west side of WV, you will see many thousands of ponds. By far, the majority are 1/2 to 1 acre. These ponds produce a lot of fish and fun.
Also, because of the topography of West Virginia, several smaller ponds may be far easier and cheaper to build, than one large pond. Dams over 25 feet get the Army Corps of Engineers involved.
Think about a pond just for big bass, another just for big bluegill, and another just for experiments.
Ken
